Pocono Medical Center gets a B in patient safety

Pocono Medical Center was below average in several patient safety measures in ratings released this week, and received a B overall.

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By JENNA EBERSOLE

poconorecord.com

By JENNA EBERSOLE

Posted May. 1, 2014 at 12:01 AM

By JENNA EBERSOLE
Posted May. 1, 2014 at 12:01 AM

» Social News

Pocono Medical Center was below average in several patient safety measures in ratings released this week, and received a B overall.

The Leapfrog Group, an independent patient safety organization, compiles the Hospital Safety Score. The scores reviewed 28 measures of safety data and covered more than 2,500 hospitals across the country.

PMC retained its B grade from last year. Locally, Lehigh Valley Hospital, Lehigh Valley Hospital-Muhlenberg, Geisinger Wyoming Valley and Geisinger Community Medical Center received A grades, St. Luke's Hospital in Bethlehem received a B and Gnaden Huetten Memorial Hospital got a C.

PMC was below the average hospital for the percentage of patients receiving recommended care in getting antibiotic within an hour before surgical incision, getting the right antibiotic and getting appropriate treatment to prevent blood clots at the right time.

PMC also was below average on following recommended care for removing urinary catheters on the first or second postoperative day.

"Patients can develop infections if the urinary catheter is left in for too long," the report said. "Infections are dangerous for patients, and can increase the duration and cost of a hospital stay."

In each measure, PMC was between 94 and 98 percent, a point or two below average.

The hospital was above average in other categories, with no foreign objects retained after surgery, no stage 3 or 4 bed sores and no falls.

In outcomes, the hospital was worse than average for central line-associated bloodstream infections and catheter-associated infections in the intensive care unit.

Missy Danforth, senior director of hospital ratings at Leapfrog, reviewed PMC's scores and said the infection measures stand out, but PMC also is not among the worst in Pennsylvania.

The hospital scored near the bottom on a measure of intensive care unit physician staffing, with a 5 out of 100, the level of the worst-performing hospital.

Danforth said studies have shown that having specially trained intensivists leads to better care in the ICU, which increases the chances for survival among the hospital's sickest patients. Hospitals with a low score have no intensivists, or few, or have a plan that allows other doctors to care for ICU patients.

In a statement, PMC said it has six intensivists and two mid-level practitioners in the ICU for 24-hour coverage.

The hospital said it "is dedicated to making continual improvements in patient care and safety."

PMC reports data publicly to the government and to national accrediting bodies, and also has internal quality control processes.

Danforth said she is confident in the methodology for the test, but PMC said the measures are not the best or only indicators of hospital quality.

PMC said it was penalized in the score for not responding to Leapfrog's survey directly, along with other hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association, though Danforth said that was not calculated into the score.

Overall, PMC said its leaders, physicians, nurses and other caregivers are committed to "world-class care," which the consistent B demonstrates.

"To that end, it remains a system-wide goal and target to be in the top 10 percent in the country for all publicly reported measures," the statement said.